Daryna Zevina (UKR), fourth in Dubai back in 2010, stepped up for the gold in 2:02.24 in Turkey with a well-paced performance in which she took control of the race at the 100m, on 1:00.08, piled on the pressure over the next 50m to turn in 1:31.11 as Bonnie Brandon (USA) proved the only one in the race capable of sticking to her on her way to silver in 2:03.19, the bronze going to Duane Da Rocha (ESP), in 2:04.15, 0.07sec ahead of a fast-finishing Marie Kamimura (JPN), Elizabeth Simmonds (GBR), 0.33sec further adrift after having led the field at the 50m mark before struggling in the closing stages of the race in her first season at a new programme in a switch from Loughborough to Bath.

Zevina said: "I’m very happy, because in Ukraine my parents are watching on TV. They saw I am a champion, so I’m proud. This is my first (world) championships medal.”